UTC Dining Guide

If you’ve been living off the grid for the past year, you may not have heard that a new mall is opening called University Town Center. Upscale, massive and filled with retailers that can likely cater to your every consumer need, UTC will be host to thousands of eager shoppers when it officially opens this week.

For some of us, though, the real draw will be the food. Admittedly, the mall is loaded with chain restaurants that you can (and probably have) found in other towns across the country, but they’re still fresh and new to us here in Sarasota.

Here’s your guide to the spots where you can refill and refresh after braving the crowds at the new mall. (Find more information about UTC at our What's In Store blog.)

702-9102; brioitalian.com

Brio Tuscan Grille

This iteration of the Italian restaurant chain makes for an even dozen locations in Florida, all serving a wide array of modernized Italian cuisine. There’s an extensive array of pasta, from the healthy-leaning Roasted Vegetable & Whole Grain Spaghettini to Brio’s take on “carbonara” that combines grilled chicken, bacon, sauteed spinach and Alfredo sauce.

You’ll also find grilled fish and meats, several steaks, a host of bruschetta and flatbreads, soup, salad and more. Most of the menu is also available at lunch, with the addition of panini and lunch plates.

Brio serves lunch and dinner, as well as a limited brunch and almost a dozen different desserts. There is also a special menu of smaller bar plates, all under $6, including a $5 burger, available on weekdays in the bar only.

bnbjoint.com

Burger and Beer Joint

This Miami-based burger chain is making its Southwest Florida debut. The appetizer, soup and salad list is extensive, with everything from green bean fries to mini corn dogs, but the focus is justifiably focused on meat in a bun. B&B has over a dozen specialty burgers, including versions featuring chicken, bison or turkey, or you can create your own tailored to your particular tastes.

Feeling extra hungry (or maybe suicidal)? B&B also offers The Motherburger, a 10-pound manhole cover of beef “sandwiched in a bun that resembles a couch cushion,” for a mere $125 ($150 if you want cheese and toppings). Finish it yourself in under two hours and it’s free. (No mention of whether they’ll call an ambulance for you.) There’s also over 75 different beers available, as well as an array of “adult shakes” laced with rum, vodka or coffee liqueur.

B&B won’t be ready in time for the grand opening this week and is expected to open in December.

256-3647; thecapitalgrille.com

Capital Grille

Owned by the Darden restaurant group (which also includes, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V’s and Yard House, as well as fellow UTC neighbor Seasons 52), Capital Grille is an upscale steakhouse chain. That means you can expect classic steakhouse fare, featuring an array of salads, simple soups, lobster, fish and, of course, plenty of grilled beef. The steaks range from a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye to filet mignon served either simply or doused in lump crab and Bearnaise.

Like any great steakhouse, Capital Grille takes pride in its wine list, chosen by the restaurant chain’s Master Sommelier George Miliotes. You’ll see many wines you’re familiar with, as well as a host of high-end selections catering to folks who either appreciate serious winemaking or have the money to drink whatever they wish. There’s also a beautiful, old-school bar area that serves the kind of massive martinis you expect at an old-school steakhouse.

thecheesecakefactory.com

Cheesecake Factory

A chain known far and wide for its almost absurdly massive menu, it’s difficult to pin down Cheesecake Factory’s cuisine. If you can think of a dish you’d like, chances are you’ll find it, or something similar to it, among the more than 200 selections the restaurant offers.

From decadent chain-restaurant concoctions like tater tots stuffed with cheese and bacon to relatively healthy kale salad, pizza topped by fresh mozzarella and fontina to grilled ribeye, massive burgers to huevos rancheros, Cheesecake Factory has made it a mission to offer something for everyone.There are also dozens of different cheesecakes, not to mention the full non-chesecake dessert menu or the ice cream and milkshake offerings.

Faced with such a bounty, be careful. Not only is Chesecake Factory known for its excess of choice, most selections are also hefty in size.

konagrill.com

Kona Grill

With a couple dozen locations scattered across the country, Kona Grill serves an interesting combination of westernized pan-Asian greatest hits, pizza and Italian standards and typical chain-restaurant American fare onto a single menu, all of it tinged with a vague Hawaiian theme. That means pepperoni pizza and caesar salad shares space with beef bulgogi tacos and basil-pesto linguine, chicken chili and lobster mac and cheese alongside miso-sake sea bass and tomato basil bisque. The sushi shares the same influences, making for an interesting list of specialty rolls.

702-9652; seasons52.com

Seasons 52

Also owned by the Darden group, Seasons 52 is almost a counter to the excesses of some other restaurant chains, with every item on the menu clocking in at less than 475 calories. Don’t expect diet food, however. Seasons 52 is adept at combining ingredients and managing portions to maximize flavor without loading you down.

That means you can enjoy a rack of lamb with mashed potatoes, lemon and herb roasted whole branzino, or grilled scallops with butternut squash risotto and walk away from the table with your head heald high instead of waddling out thinking you should check you blood sugar levels.

Seasons 52 also has a selection of smartly constructed salads, flatbreads and appetizers, as well as 52 different wines – many priced around $30 a bottle – and a craft cocktail menu that you can enjoy at the table or in the piano bar.

sophies.com

Sophie's at Sak's Fifth Avenue

The grand tradition of putting restaurants in department stores has faded over the past several decades, but thankfully a few high-end retailers are reviving the concept. Saks only has one other Sophie’s – opened earlier this year in Chicago – which makes the opening in Sarasota an especially rare event.

The restaurant is cozy, with mid-century modern decor and a surprisingly large outdoor dining area complete with an al fresco bar. The menu at Sophie’s in Sarasota will focus on simple ingredients, sourced locally and seasonally, to create contemporary American dishes with a global influence. The restaurant will serve late breakfast, lunch, cocktails and dinner.

Sarasota inspired dishes will include seared Florida grouper with shaved vegetable salad, coriander and a coconut ginger sauce. To complement the food, Sophie’s mixologists will create a beverage menu featuring fresh, seasonal cocktails and iced teas, along with a carefully edited wine list including a selection of superb wines by the glass.

yosushi.com

Yo! Sushi

With dozens of locations in the UK and a few more scattered around the world, this opening at UTC marks the first Yo! Sushi location in the US. Yo! is known for vibrant decor and a conveyor-belt delivery system that encourages diners at the massive sushi bar to select their own food as it glides by in front of them. You can also order directly from the menu, if you’d rather, choosing from a dizzying array of Asian cuisine that focuses heavily on Japanese street food. You’ll find pumpkin croquettes and duck gyoza, yakisoba and firecracker rice, katsu curry and veggie tempura. And unlike many other Japanese joints, Yo! sushi menu is refreshingly simple, featuring the basics and a few creative rolls, all ordered a la carte.

Other Restaurants and Food Kiosks

Mandarin Express (mandarinexpress.us): You know what to expect: westernized Chinese take-out made for the lwoest common denominator, reminiscent of other malls that actually have food courts.

Cold Stone Creamery (coldstonecreamery.com):The ice cram shop known for chopping candies, cookies and other sweet treats into ice cream on top of a chilled slab of marble.